


Home, Let Me Go Home

by HockeyShit



Series: Home [1]
Category: Hockey RPF
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-01
Updated: 2017-04-01
Packaged: 2018-10-13 17:42:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,380
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10518657
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HockeyShit/pseuds/HockeyShit
Summary: Auston's always known he'd bring the Stanley Cup to the desert.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Title from "Home" by Edward Sharp and the Magnetic Zeros.

     Auston doesn't remember Shane Doan being drafted. It happened before he was born for a team that would have a hard time staying put. Auston wouldn’t care about any of this until he was five. As soon as he did care there wasn’t a day that he didn’t pretend to skate around the living room, shooting the puck from a perfect pass from Shane Doan and lifting the cup a Coyote on his chest. 

     Auston wanted to play hockey forever, which meant leaving Arizona. That was okay, it was still home. He’d catch as many Coyotes games as he could quickly becoming the stubborn boy from the desert who loved a team no one cared about. At fifteen Auston knew he’d be happy to play for whatever team drafted him, but he couldn’t help but dream that it would be the Coyotes. He’d love to bring the Cup to Arizona. 

     Auston went to Switzerland, he wanted to be the best player he could be and this was how that would happen. It was harder to catch Coyotes games with the time changes. He had his own team to worry about. He repped his own team but if he and his sister were going to go to the market he wouldn’t think twice about pulling the Coyote hat over his head. 

     It would be impossible for Auston not to know that he was going to be drafted first. Everyone was talking about it, it’s what all the scouting reports said, it’s what they had been saying since last year’s Draft. Auston tried not to think about it while he watched the draft lottery. He couldn’t help but wonder if this would be the last time he would wear this Coyotes hat. He figured no matter what he’d be getting a new hat by the end of the summer. Some part of him remembered being five, remembered dreaming about ice in the heart of the desert. He wanted his new hat to be the same brick red as the hat on his head. 

     Hoping for the Coyotes to win the lottery felt normal,they hadn’t ever yet. This could be the year, Auston couldn’t stop hoping that they would this year. 

     They didn’t. 

     Auston didn’t take off his hat. 

     At the combine when he talked to reps from the Coyotes he got his hopes up. Auston knew he was going first but the Coyotes still wanted him. He told himself if he was passed over six times, the seventh he’d have a team. He thinks about that all night as he looks at his hat shoved down in his suitcase. Auston can imagine it like it has already happened. He thinks about the sea of red wearing his jersey, cheering for him. His first goal in the Gila River Arena, all the goals after that. He can see the headlines now, the prodigal son returns, he brings the hope of a cup with him. Auston knows the Arizona hockey community, he knows they need something. He wants to be that something.

     And then the draft comes and he can’t stop thinking about it. He’s sitting there and he can’t stop thinking about how he could do it. He could bring the Cup to the desert. He wants more than anything to do that. Part of his brain tells him that he might not get drafted at all. Toronto will pick Laine and everyone will forget about him. But then they’re calling his name and he knew this was coming. He tells everyone he’s excited to go to Toronto, he’s excited to go to the Hockey Mecca of the world. He’s not lying. 

     Auston knows Clayton Keller. They won bronze last winter but Auston can still taste the gold from the year before. He can’t help but wonder if Clayton knows he’s just been picked by the best team in the league. He tries to tell himself he’s a Leaf now but it still feels like a dream. First overall draft pick, that can’t be real. He’s spent all summer almost hoping to go seventh. 

     He’s told he makes history his first night. He just wishes they would have won. Auston settles into the grind of the NHL. He makes friends with his team, wins and loses with his team. A whole group of rookies turning heads. Hockey was always fun but this might be the most fun Auston has ever had.

     He forgets about Arizona until they are in the ACC, until he’s watching Shane Doan during the warm ups. He’s skated with Shane, not that long ago in scheme of things. But there is something about seeing Shane Doan in his arena. His childhood hero is here to play his team. Auston figures that’s pretty cool. 

     He gets the first goal, that’s pretty cool too. But then they lose so Auston figures it doesn't matter. He can’t help but wonder what it would be like if he were on the other team. This game wouldn't mean anything, just another road game. Auston really wanted that win. The team puts the loss behind them.They win some they lose some that’s how hockey goes.

     A week later hockey takes Auston home. 

     Babcock is talking about how this game is important to Auston and how they need to go out and win it for him. Auston wonders what it’s like in the Coyote’s locker room. It’s Shane’s 1400th game, he could score his 400th goal. Auston wonders if it’s bad of him to want that to happen while he’s here so he can see it. Shane is still his childhood hero. 

     He’s been here. His first instinct is to want to be on the other side of the center line during warmups, he wants to be in the brick red jerseys. Instead he watches the kids in the Bobcat jerseys. He sees all the Matthews leaf jerseys and he knows he’s a focal point of this game. For a moment he wishes he wasn’t. He wishes Gila River Arena was his home that they would be used to seeing him. He thinks back to dreams of bringing the cup back to Arizona before shaking his head. He has his own team now. 

     Auston took the opening faceoff against Arizona back in Toronto. When he was told he got this one too, he knew who he would see on the other side of the dot. He still can’t believe he gets to face off against Shane Doan. The thought catches his mind for too long and he loses the face off. Auston gets an assist on Connor's goal, they leave the ice after the first ahead. He watches Shane score his 400th goal, he’s secretly glad he’s on the ice for that one. 

     Auston wishes he could have scored a goal, but they win that’s the important thing. He’ll have to wait till next year to score a goal here. Babcock tells him he’s proud, and Mitch is too excited for their short break. Auston’s family is glad to see him and Auston is happy to be home. His family is wearing blue and white, and Auston smiles. 

     Their first home game back is the Centennial classic. Auston can feel how excited the fans are. When he scores the fourth goal he figures they have won. He figures too soon. It’s horrifying watching a 4-1 lead slowly get chipped away. To have the game tied with just two seconds left. Auston can feel the weight of the fans disappointment. 

     They gather around the bench before overtime. Auston thinks back to his games with team North America and how the ACC erupted when he scored his first goal. He thinks about that first game in Ottawa, and the chanting. He thinks about the goal against Arizona, beating them at the Gila River Arena. He thinks about how excited Toronto was when they won the draft lottery, how excited the City is to have him. He thinks about all the rookies on this team how they’ve helped him learn how to make it in this league. 

     When Auston scores the game winning goal he thinks about how he will bring the cup to Arizona, but he’ll be a Leaf. He wouldn’t want it any other way. 

 


End file.
